[thor745]

I just picked up a used, new to me, Blued Ruger SuperBlackHawk in .44 magnum this weekend for $350. It has a Bisley grip frame and hammer. Is this a standard option or has the gun been modified? The barrel has been cut down and recrowned to 4 5/8 inch. Did I get a good deal or pay an average price? I have to say after taking it out to the range the grip shape feels much better in my hand than the S&W 629 ever did. The recoil of this revolver also seem substanially less than the Smith.

[Jim March]

Oh it's modified all right. BIGTIME. Chopped barrel, different grip frame and hammer, and possibly trigger - take a look at pictures of a stock SBH and Bisley (browse around www.gunbroker.com searching on "SuperBlackhawk" and "Bisley" for various pics of each) and see if your trigger is more "curved" (Bisley fashion).

Did you get a deal? If the mods were done right, and you like the gun as-is, hell yes you did!

The grip frame would have cost somebody $150 new. Add in grips and the hammer (and mebbe trigger), and you're looking at well over $200 in parts value. Another $75ish *minimum* for a gunsmith to chop and crown the barrel plus re-blue. You basically bought at least $275 in modifications and a SuperBlackhawk for $75 :p.

Another thing: while he had it open, it's possible he added a freewheel pawl by Power Custom ($35), or the equivelent mods to factory parts. Open the loading gate and see if the cylinder spins both ways. This is a GOOD thing.

Look and see how clean the fit between the primary frame and grip frame is. Check to see if the screws are boogered. *Definately* run the full checkout proceedure on a gun that heavily modified (thread started on TFL, continues here on THR):

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57816

The good news: Ruger SAs are easy to modify, odds are whoever hot-rodded that thing did it right.

Congrats :). That's one cool oddball non-factory thingie ya got there :D. If it was a car, it'd have big ol' mag wheels on the back and a blower stickin' outta the hood :neener:.

[larryw]

I'll becha Jim's response made thor745's day. ;)

[Jim March]

:D

One more thing: examine the cylinder base pin, the "axle" pin that the cylinder revolves on. Look to see if it's got a tiny hex-screw in it. Belt Mountain Enterprises sells replacement cylinder pins that tighten up the action and can be "locked down" to prevent jumping on recoil. It's a $25 part; a gun that heavily tweaked probably has one already.

There's a thread on Ruger SA parts with links here:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=80872

That's the other thread I continued on THR...

[Kahr carrier]

Congrats on your new 44.:)

[10-Ring]

Yeah, congrats! :D